


Can't Complain About Much These Days, I Believe We'll Be Okay

by braverbolderlouder



Category: Glee RPF
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-04-18
Updated: 2015-05-01
Packaged: 2018-01-19 21:29:33
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 10
Words: 11,048
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1484719
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/braverbolderlouder/pseuds/braverbolderlouder
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>After wrapping the 100th episode, the Glee Cast go on a vacation to beautiful Bass Lake, California. A week of fun awaits them. But why is Lea Michele acting weird? Naya Rivera makes it her mission to find out why.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Destination: Bass Lake!

**Lea's POV**

 It all started with Naya's plan. After we wrapped shooting on the 100th episode, she approached the bosses and asked for a week off so that we could spend some much needed and well deserved time with each other on a vacation in Bass Lake, in Madera County, California. Bass Lake. One week in Bass Lake with my Glee castmates. Surprisingly, Mr. Murphy and Co. said yes, much to my chagrin. I don't know why I'm kind of annoyed by that, I really don't know. Maybe it's due to the fact that I love working my ass off so hard and having fun with my castmates is out of the question for me. That's selfish of me, to say the least.

I changed my mind at the last minute, though. Which was good, because if I hadn't, I would just be at home, alone with my thoughts. And that's the last thing I want. So we planned for one full day on what we were going to do there, if we're okay with carpooling and all that, what we're going to bring for the trip, etcetera etcetera. And then the next day, our scheduled trip was well underway.

I was in Naya's car with Naya driving, I'm on shotgun, Kevin, Jenna and Dianna on the backseat. Mark, Harry, Chord, Darren, and Chris were in Mark's car; Amber, Heather, Melissa, and Becca were in Becca's car; and Jacob, Alex, and Blake were in Jacob's car along with most of the gear and luggage.

"It's such a beautiful day out, huh guys?" I didn't even know I spaced out until I heard Dianna ask this particular question.

"Yeah, it really is," I heard Kevin, Naya, and Jenna reply, but I chose to not say anything.

"Lea?" I heard Dianna ask.

"Hmm?" I finally mustered enough energy to say something.

"You were gone for quite a while there. Where'd you go?"

"Somewhere... only I know." I replied and I know they were all confused by my statement, especially Di and NayNay. "Guys, I'm fine. Seriously." I brushed off the topic with a wave of my hand, hoping they would drop it. They still treat me with kid gloves after I told them not to. I know they care, but I just wish they would stop caring so much.

Naya rested her right hand on my left. My initial response was to jump a little at the sudden contact, but I didn't. "You sure you're okay?"

I gave her a smile, a hopefully convincing smile, and said, "I'm okay. I promise." I could tell she didn't quite buy it, but thankfully, she dropped the subject. I changed the subject, hoping to take away some of the tension in the air. "How long are we gonna be gone again?"

"A week, why?" Jenna asked from the back.

"Nothing, I was just thinking of..." I started, but Kevin cut me off.

"Oh woman, don't tell me you're thinking of work right now!" He scolded playfully, and I turned around to face him, giggling.

"You got me, Kev." I admitted and he laughed.

Dianna, Jenna and Naya agreed with him. "Seriously Li, you work so hard. I mean, we work hard too, but it's you who works the hardest out of all of us on that show and we all know it. But you deserve a break." Naya said, and I nodded. Maybe I do deserve a break, even if it's just for a week. "You need to remind yourself that you're not superwoman, okay? You need to take it easy, let loose, not have a care in the world and just enjoy yourself. You deserve it and so much more." I nodded again and I can't help but melt at Naya's kind words.

"Don't think about work right now, okay Lee?" Kevin, Naya, Jenna and Di said in unison and I nodded, smiling and admitting defeat. Moments like this deserved to be cherished and I will cherish them forever. Moments like this help take away the pain, the grief even just for a little while, and for that I am truly thankful.

* * *

**Naya's POV**

 I cast Dianna a worried glance from my rearview mirror. The brunette sitting beside me keeps spacing out and honestly, I'm worried about her. I've never seen her this way.

I've been driving for over an hour when my phone bing bonged, signaling me I have a new text message.

"Lil' bee, could you get that?" I told Kevin and he nodded.

Kevin told me that I got a text from Amber.

_'Hey Nay, the guys are gettin' hungry and Alex texted me the same.' -Mama A_

"The guys, Amber, Alex, Becca, Melissa, Jacob, and Blake are getting hungry. We should stop for breakfast." Kevin suggested and I nodded. Lea wasn't paying attention as usual, Jenna fell asleep on Kevin's shoulder, and Dianna shot me a worried glance, just like I did to her earlier.

_'We're gonna stop at the Golden Arches.' -Kevy Kev Kev_

I pulled into the nearest McDonald's and once there, I woke Jenna up and tried to get Lea's attention, but to no avail. She was still in her own little zone, world, whatever. I sighed.

"Lea? We're at McDonald's. You can either stay here or not eat or you can come with us, whichever you prefer. We're about 20 minutes away from the lake." I told her as I got out of the car and all she said was, "I'm not hungry."

I pushed. "How about a coffee?"

"I had one at home, thank you." Lea Michele, refusing a coffee? What has the world come to?

I sighed. "Okay, have it your way then."

"C'mon, Panda." Kevin said as he literally pushed Jenna out of the car.

"Damn McHale. Pushy much?" Jenna teased and Dianna giggled and all I could do was smile at my friends. I'm still worried about the brunette though. I sighed. This was going to be a long week.


	2. We have arrived.

**Naya's POV**

 After everyone was fed, we all headed to the lake and since there was no traffic, we got there exactly 20 minutes flat. Lea fell asleep about 5 minutes into the ride. I guess she was really tired, but I don't know what got her that tired. I pulled into the parking lot and parked on an empty parking space beside Mark's car. "Guys, we have arrived at our destination," I told my friends. Kevin, Jenna, and Dianna got out first, and I was left in the car with my sleeping companion. She looks so peaceful in her sleep and I didn't want to wake her up, but I proceeded to wake her up anyway. The moment I touched her shoulder, she jumped and started freaking out. In that moment I knew that something was really wrong with Lea. And I'm determined to find out even if that's the last thing I do.

"Lee, calm down. It's just me, it's Nay Nay, you're okay, we're here, you're okay." I assured her and pulled her into me, giving her a tight hug. "It's okay, you're okay, you're okay." I continued assuring the now sobbing brunette. "You're okay sweetie, you're okay." I hugged her tighter and continued to sooth her. I gently dabbed at her tears with a tissue, passed her her water bottle, and made her drink. She took a few hesitant sips, before chugging it all down.

When Lea was finally calm enough, I told her, "Let's go to the cabin now, yeah?" She nodded and I gave her another hug. She looked like she needed it. "We're gonna get through this together. Whatever this is." I promised and she nodded, a lone tear making its way down her cheek again. I wiped it away with my pinkie. "No more crying, okay Li?"

"No more crying." Lea agreed, fixing her makeup. After that, the two of us made our way down to the cabins.

* * *

 Everyone was already there once we reached the site. Darren and Chord, upon seeing us, snatched Lea away from me. The guys sandwiched Lea into a hug.

"There you are! I was worried you got lost somewhere!" Darren said. 'Typical Darren,' I thought.

"Um guys..." Lea began.

"Ready for some more Daleastreet adventures?" Chord asked. 'Daleastreet. Of course.' For those of you who don't know what Daleastreet is, well allow me to tell you guys what it is. Daleastreet is the friendship term for Lea, Darren, and Chord; Lea came up with the name and it even became a TT on Twitter.

"Guys I...I really need...oxygen." Lea reminded them and they let her go. "Thank you. Me? Lost? Nah. And yeah, of course, I'm ready for more Daleastreet adventures!" She told them, her voice bubbly and upbeat. But I know it was just an act. A fake act of excitement. I know there's something wrong with her, but she doesn't let it show. She's putting on a brave face for all of us, but I know deep inside that she's hurting.

"Oh right!" Darren remarked and patted Lea on the head, Chord doing the same.

Lea playfully rolled her eyes at them. "Really guys? I'm 27, not 7." She said this in a teasing manner and the three of them laughed. I stopped observing them and finally got down to business. "Okay, guys. I rented us this cabin and it only has five rooms, and there's 17 of us, so we're all gonna have to share." I then showed them the roommates list I made the day before.

**_Room 1 - Me, Lea, Dianna, and Becca_ **  
**_Room 2 - Jenna, Heather, Amber, and Melissa_ **  
**_Room 3 - Harry, Chord, and Jacob_ **  
**_Room 4 - Mark, Blake, and Darren_ **  
**_Room 5 - Chris, Kevin, and Alex_ **

"If you guys wanna switch, just let me know." I said to them and they all agreed with the list I made. "Great! So, here are your keys." I tossed Jenna, Harry, Mark, and Chris their respective keys to their rooms. "So, any questions?"

"What's on the agenda today?" Becca asked.

"Whatever you guys want to do." I told her and she seemed satisfied with that.

"I call disc golf with Chord!" Mark said, and he and Chord did a fist pump. I rolled my eyes. Dorks.

"Is there a karaoke place here, Bee?" Kevin asked me and I nodded. "I did my research a couple of days ago and found out that yes, there is a karaoke hub in this place."

"What about the grub?" Di asked and I told her, "Based on my research, there are four restaurants here, so grub's not a prob." What I said rhymed, and Dianna and Amber cracked up. I just shake my head at them. Dorks.

"Can we sleep in the same bed?" I was surprised to know that that question came from Lea. Everyone's looking at us, watching our exchange.

"What?"

"Not.. not in that way. I just... I just want someone to cuddle with, y'know?" Lea clarified, blushing, but the hesitation in her voice was clearly unmistakable, "But it's fine if you don't want to, Naya. No pressure."

How could I deny her when she's in this vulnerable state? "It's okay, Lea. I'll share a bed with you. Comprende?" I told her and she began rambling.

"I understand. Thank you. It's only for tonight though. If you get annoyed with me, you can..."

I cut her off. "Li, I said it's okay. Alright?" I told her and she nodded. She mouthed a "thank you" to me and I nodded.

What have I just gotten myself into?


	3. It's all fun and games...until it's not.

**Lea's POV**

After getting all our stuff in Jacob's car, we left them in our respective rooms and then I took Mark, Naya, Chord, Darren, Amber, Jenna, and Chris, out on a nature walk, while Dianna, Heather, Kevin, Harry, Alex, Becca, Melissa, Blake, and Jacob stayed behind and started making lunch.

Naya and I are glued at the hip-everywhere I went, she went too-the taller brunette watching me very closely, like if she looked away even just for a second, I will break or something. It's quite annoying, actually, but I don't mind. I leaned my head on her shoulder and she just let me be. I decided to observe my friends.

Mark's complaining to Chord about how it's been a long time since he played disc golf. Jenna and Amber are in what seemed like a deep conversation about their dogs. Darren and Chris are quizzing each other on Broadway musicals. Me and Naya, on the other hand, are enjoying the quiet, comfortable silence as we continued to walk with our friends. I smiled. These people are my family, we all became a part of something special thanks to Glee, and we're all really very close. I love them all to the moon and back. I'm so thankful to have siblings like them in my life. They're the best fake siblings ever. Whatever that means. Ha ha.

"You ready to go back yet?" Hearing Naya's voice brought me back to the present.

"Nah. Actually, I was thinking, if you and I could maybe stray from the group and..." I trailed off, unable to continue my sentence. And then, it's as if Naya read my mind. She said, "Oh. You wanna go in the woods with me?" I nodded. "Sure sweet cheeks."

Naya then told the group that the two of us will see them all later at the cabin, I told them to text us if there's enough food to go around and well, off to the woods we go.

* * *

**Naya's POV**

 Lea and I strayed from the group as planned. We walked down the wilderness pathways hand-in-hand. We walked and walked alongside the lake until we got to the boat dock. Lea was getting tired of walking, so I urged her to sit next to me, she did just that and she leaned her head on my shoulder again.

"It sure is beautiful here." I heard Lea say and I bobbed my head showing my agreement to her statement. "I wanna stay here."

I smile. "I do too, Li, but we have a job to get back to."

She frowned, but silently agreed to my statement. "We'll definitely go back, I promise you." Lea mumbled a "hmm" in response and I continued. "If you want, we could go back sometime, ya know, just the two of us."

Lea smiled and then she started giggling. I was confused. I didn't say anything that was even remotely funny, so why the giggles?

"What's so funny, girlie?"

"Nothing. I just remembered our Bass Lake twitter riot." Lea says and I giggled too, because I remember that day like it happened yesterday.

"Oh that." I said and we giggled some more; Lea's giggles are like music to my ears.

October 8, 2011-also known as the day of the Glee Cast Bass Lake twitter riot. I started the riot by tweeting "I wanna go to bass lake!", then Lea, Harry, Kevin, and Cory all decided to join in. Bass Lake is actually an inside joke among the five of us and no one really knew what it was about. The rest is history. And now we're here. We're actually in Bass Lake.

"I remember when diehard Gleeks would tweet me about it saying that bass lake is a glee slang for giant cast orgy. Hilarious, right?" Lea said and laughed. 

I nod. "Some say it's a secret Glee cast sex term." I say this with a smirk.

"Oh my god. Yeah, yeah that is really hilarious." Lea agrees, laughing.

It's good to see her like this. Happy. Genuinely happy. Happy Lea. I definitely like this side of her. It's really good to see her like this again. I hope happy Lea is here to stay.

I didn't even realize I was smiling like a crazy person until I heard my friend say, "What's got you all smiley, Nay?"

"You." I told her and she looked at me, her eyebrows raised in confusion. "Me?" She mumbled and I nodded.

"I'm not sure I'm following." Lea said, confusion written all over her pretty face.

So I told her, "I'm smiling because it's so good seeing you happy and carefree again."

"I got tired of crying, I guess. And it felt so good to laugh, ya know?" Lea said and I do, I do know how good laughing felt like.

I say, "I like this happy, carefree girl sitting beside me and I hope she's here to stay."

Lea promises, "I'm gonna try really hard. No, I'm going to make sure that she stays."

"That's good enough for me, champ." I say, pulling her closer to my body, and then, I locked her into a not-too-tight embrace.

"Thank you. So much."

"Always, Li. Always."

"I love you, Nay."

"Love you too, Li."

This is a beautiful moment for us and I don't want anyone or anything ruining it. But alas, it was ruined indeed. My phone rang and I groaned. I didn't want to answer whoever who's calling at first, but I knew that I had to, so I let go of Lea, gave her a gentle squeeze on her left shoulder, and finally answered my phone.

"Hello?"

"Bee! Time for lunch! Get yo fine ass back here!" Kevin.

"Finally. I'm starved. We'll be there in five."

"K. DaStreet are looking for littlest bee."

"DaStreet?"

"Darren and Chord, duh."

"Oh sorry, stupid me. Kindly tell them Lea is safe and sound with me, 'kay?"

"Got it."

"Thanks lil' bee. Oh and by the way, Kev."

"Yea?"

"Thanks for ruining a beautiful moment."

"What beautiful moment?"

"Yeah. Bye Kev! See ya!"

"What beautiful-" I pressed the END button before he could even continue asking me his question.

"So that was Kevin and he said that lunch is served, so we should probably get going before all the food's gone." I say and help Lea up. She nodded and I continued. "Oh and he also said that Dare and Chordy are looking for you."

She just nodded again and I decided to tease her, "What? Did you lose your ability to speak?"

"Nope." She said, popping the 'e.' I then look at her face and she's got this sly smile on and I playfully rolled my eyes.

"What are you up to, missy?"

All she said was, "Race you back to the cabins!" before sprinting away from me, back to our location earlier.

"Hey! No fair! Cheater!" I shouted and took off running after her.

* * *

 When I finally got back to the site, I was panting. I saw Lea, eating in a corner and talking animatedly with Darren and Chord-no surprise there.

I walked up to them and practically zoned in on the petite brunette. "If you wanted...a marathon...you should've just...said so, Li." I said, a little out of breath. Again, no surprise there.

"Oh come on, Nay. Don't be mad." says Lea. "It was just for fun."

"I'm not mad at you. Well, maybe a little. Whatever. I still think you're a cheater. And I think what you did back there was a little rude, even for you." I told her and before she could even mutter an apology, I scrambled away, and headed off to the showers. I'm not really hungry anymore and I badly need a shower, so off to the showers I go.

This is going to be a long week, indeed.


	4. That's what friends are for.

**Lea's POV**

 "Hey. I brought you some lunch." I say, bringing the tray of food with me to the room I share with Naya. Naya was engrossed with her MacBook Pro when I came in, but looked up at me a few seconds later and nodded. I carefully set the tray down on the bedside table and joined her on the bed. "Whatcha doin'?"

"Just answering some fan questions on Tumblr," came Naya's reply. "That's cool." I say and looked at her, a little confused. "Wait. Isn't the signal a little shitty here?" Naya cracked a smile. "That was three years ago, Lea." She said and I laughed. "Oh yeah. I forgot."

We settle into a comfortable silence again. We've been doing that a lot lately. Finally abandoning her laptop, she started eating the food I brought her, which was a cheeseburger (made by Kevin, duh), while I occupied myself by unpacking my clothes and stuff. And then... "I'm not mad at you. You know that, right?"

Ding ding ding and Naya's done it again!

Every time we settle into a comfortable silence, Naya's always the one who breaks it. Seriously. It's the same cycle over and over again. "You-you're not?" I ask. Naya takes a sip of her Long Island Iced Tea, then clarifies, "Well, I was mad, but not anymore. It's hard to stay mad at you for too long." I don't say anything in reply as I allowed myself to process what she just said.

She goes on to say, "No matter how hard I try, I just can't stay mad at you for very long." Flashing her a smile and hoping she smiles back, I say, "Huh. I'm wondering why that is." Naya smiles at me in return and shrugs. "I dunno. Maybe it's 'cause you're a very sweet girl. Staying mad at you for too long is highly impossible and unlikely."

I turn red at her words and put a hand to my heart. "I'm flattered," I say.

Naya, smirking, says in a teasing manner, "Lea Michele, blushing? Just because of my little speech? I'm so proud of myself for making the one and only Lea Michele blush."

"Shut up, Nay." I tell her in a commandingly playful tone and she laughs, making me grin.

"You definitely got me there, Nay." I admit. Naya flashes me a small smile and I add, "I'm sorry."

Naya shakes her head at what I just said to her, "It's no big deal, Lea."

"But-" I start to protest, but she silences me by putting a finger to my lips.

"No buts. Seriously. It's okay." She says and I say, "Okay, if you insist."

"Good," Naya says, then sighs afterwards, making me frown. "Hey. What's wrong?" I ask before I could stop myself.

Naya sighs again, before confessing that, "Sean and I are on the rocks."

"Oh, Nay. I'm sorry." I tell her, giving her hand a little squeeze and to my surprise, she squeezes back.

Unshed tears welled in Naya's eyes and I could tell she's trying to keep them at bay, but I could also tell that she was struggling. "We've attended a few couples' counseling sessions over these past few weeks and I just..." She trails off, crying and I sigh.

I open my arms and she instantly falls into them. I wrap her in a tight embrace and rub circles on her back, soothing her.

"We're supposed to be _engaged_ and _so in love_ , but now we barely go on _dates_. We barely see each other anymore. And if you think that's all there is to it, you're wrong. Just last week, he had the nerve of accusing me of being a controlling and jealous _fiancee_. I mean, seriously." She rants, whilst furiously wiping away her tears.

My heart aches with longing and clenches at the words "engaged", "so in love", "dates", and last but not the least, "fiancee" and my face contorted in pain, but I refused to let it bring me down.

To my surprise, she abruptly pulls away from the hug. "I don't wanna talk about it right now. I'm sorry." I'm a little confused.

She starts opening up to me and then changes her mind at the last minute, putting her walls back up again. I understand, nodding. She's going through a tough time and I don't wanna pressure her into talking about what happened, when she's clearly not in the mood. I say, "Okay. I understand. But if you're ready to talk, just know that I'm here for you, okay baby girl?"

She nods and I wrap her in a tight embrace again. "You're a really great friend, Li. Thank you so much for understanding."

"What friends are for, Nay. And you're very welcome." I say, hugging her tighter.

"I know I don't really say this very often but, I love you, Li."

"I love you too, Nay."

Just then, the door to our room opens and in comes Kevin.

"Little bee in the house, bitches!" He greets us and me and Naya laughed.

Naya asks him before I could, "What's up bee?"

"We're gonna play Brain Busters: Glee Edition. You ladies wanna join?" He says.

"That sounds fun, bee!" Naya says and then looks at me, and says, "I think that'd be fun. Do you think that'd be fun?"

"Yeah, I think that'd  be fun." I said with a smile and they both smile back.

It's game time. This should be fun.


	5. Brain Busters: Glee Edition - Hosted by Darren Criss | Part Un

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Glee gang play a little trivia game and friendly competition ensues.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Inspired by the Brain Busters: Glee Edition trivia game. (You can see this on Glee's youtube channel.) Enjoy!

**General POV**

Naya, Kevin, and Lea come out of the room and join their friends in the cabin's living room area. Darren, upon seeing the three, said enthusiastically, "Okay! Now that everyone's here, let's begin!" Everyone voted him the appointed host for today's game, and Darren was more than pleased to do the hosting duties. The game can be watched live on Glee's YouTube page.

"Welcome to Brain Busters, Glee Edition! I'm your host for today's game, Darren Criss. I'm gonna start off by introducing the two teams that will be starting off the first round," Darren continued, "Team 1 aka Team Awesome Ninjas is composed of Ms. Dianna Agron, Mr. Chris Colfer, and Ms. Amber Riley! Come on up to the podium, guys!" The three did as they were told and joined Darren on the makeshift stage. He handed them their buzzers and then he went on to introduce the second team. "Now Team 2, aka Team Rockin Assassins is composed of Ms. Lea Michele, Mr. Kevin McHale, and Ms. Jenna Ushkowitz! Come on up, guys!"

He handed them their buzzers and told them what to do: if they know the answer, they just press on the buzzer and say their answer. If they say the wrong answer, the other team can steal. Team Awesome Ninjas and Team Rockin' Assassins shake hands with their competition and then Darren declared, "Now. First round isn't a multiple choice round, so this round is a little tricky. First team to reach five points wins this round. Everyone, get your buzzers ready."

"Ready guys?" Darren asked the contestants and they all nodded.

"Okay. First question: the first time Brittany gets her first solo, her first duet, and her first group number is on what episode?"

Dianna pressed her buzzer.

"Yes, Ms. Agron?"

"Britney/Brittany!"

Darren looks at the answer card and indeed, Dianna is correct. "Ding ding ding! That is correct and a point goes to Team Awesome Ninjas!"

"In the episode Blame It On The Alcohol, at the start of Rachel Berry's House Party Trainwreck Extravaganza, Rachel says what to Quinn?"

Lea pressed her buzzer. "Um.. is it, 'Hey, girlfriend! Having fun?'" came her answer.

"Ding ding ding! 'Hey girlfriend! Having fun?' is the correct answer! One point for Miss Michele's team, Rockin' Assassins!" Darren declared and then went on with asking the next question. "Kurt and Rachel refer to themselves as what?"

Chris pressed his buzzer. "Twinsies!"

"Twinsies is correct and another point goes to Team Awesome Ninjas!"

"This character has the most voiceovers on the show."

Amber presses her buzzer and answers for her team, "Is it, um, is it Rachel Berry?"

"Correct! Rachel Berry currently has the most voiceovers of all characters with fifteen voiceovers. That's a fun fact for you all that's watching at home." Darren says, smiling at the camera. "A point goes to Team Awesome Ninjas! Okay, next question: Santana Lopez attends NYADA's extension for dancing because?"

Kevin pressed his buzzer and answered for his team. "It's something she has enjoyed doing ever since she was a child."

"That is correct. One point goes to Team RA. Next question: Finn Hudson recruits who in the second, third, and fourth season, respectively? This question equals to three points, by the way."

Pressing her buzzer, Jenna answered, "Sam in the second season, Rory in the third season and Ryder in the fourth season."

"That is correct. Three points goes to Jenna's team! And Team Rockin' Assassins wins the first round! Congratulations! You guys are coming back for round two!" Darren says and Lea, Kevin, and Jenna all high-five each other.

"Don't go away! Up next: more Brain Busters with the reigning champions and their opposing team, the Alpha Slayers!" Darren says and then the screen cuts to black.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> That's it for part one! Part two coming up! :)


	6. Brain Busters: Glee Edition - Hosted by Darren Criss | Part Deux

**General POV**

"Welcome back to Brain Busters: Glee Edition! Team Rockin' Assassins won the first round, but can another team steal the title from them?" Darren says and goes on to say, "Please welcome, the Alpha Slayers, Ms. Naya Rivera, Ms. Heather Morris, and Mr. Mark Salling!" The three came up to the podium and Darren handed them their buzzers.

They shook hands with the members of Team Rockin' Assassins and then the games begin.

"This round is a true or false round. First team to reach five points wins. Ready Gleeks?" Darren asks the teams and a chorus of yeses was heard.

"Oh and before I forget, please choose your team representative."

Mark and Heather chose Naya for their team and Kevin and Jenna chose Lea the representative for their team.

"You can press your buzzers collectively as a team, but your team representative is the one who'll answer the question. If a team representative says the wrong answer, the other team's rep can steal. Understand?"

They all nodded. "You got this," Mark said to Naya and she just nodded at his statement. Heather gave her a pat on the back and Naya smiled. Lea was looking fiercely at Naya and said, "You're going down, Rivera." Naya smirked at her, countering with, "Not if I can beat you first, Sarfati."

Darren, knowing how competitive Lea could get, interrupted them before this got out of hand. "Okay. Every time the New Directions perform at assemblies, a riot ensues. True or false?"

Team Alpha Slayers pressed their buzzers and Naya answered for her team, "True!"

"That is correct! One point for team Alpha Slayers!" Darren said and Naya high-fived her teammates.

"Principal Figgins is scared of Tina because he believes that she is a vampire. True or false?"

Lea's team pressed their buzzers before Naya's could and Lea shouted, "True!"

"Correct! One point for team Rockin' Assassins!" Darren said and Lea did a tiny dance, along with Jenna and Kevin.

"That's cute," Darren commented, smiling at the three. "Moving on, the "it couple" of talent in New Directions is Rachel and Finn. True or false?"

Team Rockin' Assassins pressed their buzzers and Lea said, "False. The "it couple" of talent in the New Directions is Blaine and Rachel."

"Correct! That's two points for team Rockin' Assassins!" Darren declared.

"Okay! Santana Lopez has a total of 10 nicknames for Sam Evans. True or false?"

Naya's team press their buzzers and Naya answers, "I'm guessing it's... false?" She then turns to her team, "I don't know, guys- I'm really not sure, I'm sorry."

Darren looks at his answer card and declares, "That is incorrect. Ms. Michele's team has a chance to steal."

Lea answered, "True."

"Correct! Another point goes to Team Rockin' Assassins!"

"McKinley High's football team is called McKinley Underlings. True or false?"

Naya beat Lea to it. "False! McKinley Titans is what they're called."

"That is correct! Two points goes to Team Alpha Slayers!"

"The New Directions did Chicago as their school musical for sophomore year. True or false?"

Lea answered, "False!"

"That is correct and Team Rockin' Assassins are moving on up to the semifinals! More Brain Busters when we come back, so stay tuned and don't go anywhere!"


	7. The Truth, The Whole Truth, and Nothing But The Truth.

**Lea's POV**

Everything was going so well. We made it to the semifinals round, along with Team Alpha Slayers. Since Kevin and Jenna picked me as their rep, I get to play and hopefully win this for them. My competition is Naya, Team Alpha Slayers' rep.

Darren's asking the questions and he's such a natural at this; maybe this could be his job when Glee ends. Game show host.

"Okay, update update! Lea's team is currently winning with 9 points and Naya's team has 6 points. Remember: first team to reach 13 points wins the semifinals game!" Darren announced, the enthusiasm palpable in his voice. I can't help but smile.

Everything was going so well. Until he asked the one question I was hoping he wouldn't ask.

**_"Where, did Finn Hudson, propose, to Rachel Berry?"_ **

Fighting back the tears that I was sure to come, like, any minute now, I looked down at my buzzer and pressed it, hard. "Same place where they had their first kiss."

Darren continued to push on, "Which is where exactly?"

"The auditorium." I answered. I noticed that my words came out barely above a whisper, but I don't really care at the moment. I know the whole group looked at me and could tell that I was upset. Especially Naya.

"Ding ding ding! That is correct, Ms. Michele! Which brings your score to a total of 11 points!" He announced, happily, but I wasn't having any of it.

"Da..Darren, can I.. can I take a.. can I take a rain check?" I told him, keeping my voice as neutral as possible, everyone looking at me. I just- I can't take it anymore.

"Sure Lee, but is everything okay?" He asked, worried.

"Oh yeah, everything's... everything's just... peachy." I say, somewhat sarcastically and walked off the podium, ran to the room I shared with Naya, Di and Becca and launched myself on the bed and sobbed my broken heart out.

* * *

  **Naya's POV**

It was clear to me that Lea became upset upon hearing _**that**_ question, but Darren continued to push for the answer. The game wasn't officially over, it's on pause at the moment, maybe. I'm not really sure. I shook my head. "Great job, Wonder Twin, just damn great." I told the hobbit man.

"What? Was it something I said?" He asked, completely unaware. I was going to reply that 'yes, it was indeed something that you just said,' but Dianna beat me to it.

"Darren, as much as we love you for doing this quiz slash game show thing, maybe you should learn to put a filter on your mouth before asking the questions."

Everyone seemed to agree with Dianna and I didn't get to reply, because EVERYONE started talking at the same time.

Chord: "Filter, Darren. Filter."

Jenna: "Especially questions like that one."

Mark: "Not cool dude, not cool."

Amber: "How could you be so insensitive?"

Kevin: "Seriously not cool, dude."

HeMo: "Be more sensitive to people's feelings. ESPECIALLY Lea's."

Harry: "I know we're all going through a tough time dealing with the loss of our brother and dear friend Cory, but imagine, just imagine how legs, I mean, Lea must be feeling right now. And, did you really have to ask that particular Finchel question?"

Darren: "It is what was written on the card!"

Chris: "Couldn't you have picked a different card and asked a different question?"

Everyone, even the newbies, continued to talk all at the same time--Darren continued to defend himself and everyone was not on his side--and all of them are giving me a headache. So, I tried to get their attention so that they could shut up. "Guys!" No one paid me any attention so I tried again. "Guys!!" I said, a little louder. Nope, no effect, so I tried again for the last time. "GUYS! SHUT THE HECK UP! NOW!" I yelled and that seemed to work.

"Thank you for shutting the heck up, you're all giving me a headache." I began. I then went on, saying, "Look, we all know that Darren was in the wrong," I paused and shot him a glare, "And just so you know, Wonder Twin, we are all on Lea's side. So you, yes you, you better apologize to Lea and fix this. Or you know what? No. You apologize, to-day, but right now, stay here and I will fix this, you've done enough."

* * *

I ran off to our room and found Lea on the bed, sobbing hysterically, and my heart broke for the tiny brunette. I rushed to her side and took her in my arms.

"Sshhh, it's okay, it's okay. I'm here, it's okay. Sshhh. You're going to be okay, I'm here, it's okay."

 She continued to sob and I just let her.

"Oh, sweetie." I rubbed circles on her back in an attempt to soothe her; it wasn't working. I sighed and allowed myself to cry with her, letting her know that she wasn't alone on this.

It took me an hour and a half to calm her down.

I was still cuddling her. We were enjoying this comfortable silence as I continued to comfort her, but I decided to break it. "Lee.. just so you know, we're all on your side in this. We all got your back."

"T-thank you, N-Naya." She sniffled.

"But, if you don't mind my asking... why were you so upset earlier? Was it... was it just the question or was it something else entirely?"

Lea looked like she was about ready to cry again, but she was fighting it. I told her, "It's okay to cry if you feel like crying again. It's a natural human emotion, not a sign of weakness. Don't let it build up inside of you, you're not weak when you cry. Just let it out, Tiny Lee and oh my god I'm talking so much I'll stop talking now."

She giggled. And then she looked miserable again, the pain visible on her face. _'Oh Cory, what am I going to do with your ladylove?'_ I questioned, hoping the heavens will send me a sign. Or something. Or anything, really.

* * *

**Lea's POV**

I took a deep breath and started telling her the truth. _'You're strong, you can do this without breaking down, you're a trooper. You can do this,'_ Said this voice inside my head.

"This is my answer to your question. Cory... um... Cory asked me to marry him."

Naya's eyes widened, like they'd pop out any moment now. She screamed, "WHAT?! WHEN?! HOW?! OH MY GOD, REALLY?! Girl, oh my go-"

"Inside voice, honey." I told her, effectively interrupting her hyper-excited rant and she replied, "Sorry. I'm just so- But really. Tell me what, when, how, where it happened."

So I told her the whole story. "It happened on June 13. I was at his house, helping him pack his stuff as he was set to leave for Vancouver the following night. Or rather, I was packing his stuff while he was doing god knows what in the living room."

Naya laughed at this. "Typically lazy Cory."

I let out a teary chuckle. "Haha yeah." I wiped my tears and continued on. "When I was done, I went out of his room and joined him in the living room."

"Wanky," Naya teased and I couldn't help myself. I glared at her. "Sorry. Continue."

"And then we cuddled on the couch before he let go of me. Then he went down on one knee and I found myself asking, "Cor.. is this... is this you proposing?""

"Oh my God!" Naya squealed.

"He answered, "Yeah. Maybe. Yes." And then I started laughing and crying at the same time."

"Craughing."

"He proposed that day and he told me that I should think about it and that when he gets back from Vancouver, I better have an answer by then."

"Oh. But you never got to..." I was shaking my head at her statement and she was staring at me in confusion. I couldn't help the word vomit, everything just came out of my mouth.

"I did. I answered him the next morning. I told him yes. And then we were married, at the church near my house. And then we celebrated at my house and spent the whole afternoon together and I took him to the airport, he almost missed his flight but we got there in record time. And then... he was gone. Three weeks later, at Cabo while out and about with my girls, I found out I was with child. I was working on how to tell him but.. I never got to."

Naya's eyes widened again. "Back up back up back up. You guys were married? And you... you're preggers? LEA, OH MY GOD HOW COULD YOU NOT TELL ME ALL THIS??!!!"

"I'm still married to him and yes, I'm pregnant. Or I was."

"What?"

"I was pregnant. I lost the baby." That got me sobbing again. I was in Naya's arms before I collapsed to the floor.

Truth's out. Now what? I don't know anymore.


	8. Sometimes Just Being There Is Enough

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Naya comforts Lea the best way she knows how; by just being there. Because sometimes, just being there is enough.

**Naya's POV**

I have her wrapped up in a tight hug, and Lea held on to my arms like a lifeline, her body shaking with too many emotions. I sighed and rocked her gently back and forth, until her sobs gradually became sniffles. I waited for a few minutes, before giving a kiss on both her tear-stained cheeks. She responded by laughing through her tears.

"Y-you didn't have to d-do that, you k-know." Lea mumbled.

"I wanted to." I said and kissed her tears away.

She then gives me a small smile, and I allow myself to smile back. I held her hand and gave it a little squeeze. "I just want to thank you, Lee, for trusting me enough to tell me everything that you've bottled up inside for God knows how long. But just so you know, I'm here for you. We all are. We're gonna get you through this. I promise."

"I know. Thank you, Naya. But you do know you don't have to babysit me, right? I'm not a weakling and I don't want you and them to keep treating me with kid gloves.  I don't wanna keep ruining this day or all the remaining days on this trip and I don't want to--" I held up my hand to shut her up.

"Hold up, girlie. I'm not babysitting you. I'm not treating you with kid gloves. You are most definitely not a weakling. I'm here for you because I care- because I care about my friends. I guess that means that I care about you. Don't tell anyone." I winked at her, and she playfully rolled her eyes at me, getting the Pezberry reference.

"I won't tell anyone, Lopez. Promise. Cross my heart and hope to die." I smirked on that one and she gave me a playful glare. She continues by saying, "First of all, I don't want you to go all craycray New York Lima Heights on me and second of all, I would still like to be able to get my EGOT by 30." She told me, playing along and I laughed and she did, too.

"Whatev, Berry." I said and then got serious again. "Wanna know what I think, Lee?"

"Of course, Nay."

"I think that you should go to the bathroom and have a really hot shower." I released my hold on her and Lea looks at me, the confusion written all over her pretty, albeit tear-stained face. I elaborated. "While you're in there, you can cry, scream, kick and curse; you can even sing if you want to, and basically do anything you want that will make you feel better, as long as you don't hurt your beautiful body or more importantly, your voice, because you're such a powerhouse ball of talent, not to mention one of my very talented costars and I need you."

She let out a dry laugh. "You think a shower is going to fix me and all my problems? You think a simple shower is going to get me back on track? If you're trying to make a joke, Naya, you should make another one because what you just said didn't make me laugh. At all," Lea snapped. I sighed, but I understood where she's coming from. This emotion-anger-is what's making her talk like this and I understand her-she's grieving-but it kind of hurt a little bit.

The petite brunette gasped when she realized what she had said. "Naya, I-I'm so... I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to snap at you. I'm sorry. I'm just..."

"Angry. I know, Lee. I know. And I understand. You don't have to say sorry."

"But you were just trying to help and I-I'm..."

"It's okay, Lee. You're forgiven."

"Why? I'm being such a bitch to you today and all you're doing is being a friend to me and what do I give you in return? Become a raging bitch--"

I interrupted her for the nth time today. "Okay, hold up. You are not being a bitch. You're grieving and you're currently experiencing stage two of grief, which is anger. You lashed out at me because you're angry. And I completely, completely understand you."

"Maybe those naysayers were right. I am a selfish bitch and all I seem to care about is myself."

"Lea, no. Stop. Don't listen to them. You are the most kind, generous, down-to-earth person I have ever met in that cast and you are so not selfish."

"You really think so?"

"Yes. I really do think so." I pull her to me again, a little bit closer now than ever before and cuddled with her. "Don't listen to those haters, all right?" I feel her nod against my chest. "No, I mean it. Don't ever, ever listen to those haters ever again, all right?"

"I won't." Lea promises and that's good enough for me. She continues, "I'm not sure what to do with my life."

"Aw, cheer up sweetie."

"Hmm."

"Okay, you know what? You don't have to do anything noteworthy right now. Right now, I suggest you follow my advice, take that shower and relax. I'll stay with you, we'll watch a movie, or do anything you want. I'll call your girlfriends, or your mom, or your dad, or Jon, or whomever you want." I assured her.

"I'm not really sure what I want to do." She mumbles.

"Then I want you to shower and meet me in our bed. I will be waiting here for you." I said.

"Wanky," Lea replies and I laughed.

"Go. Now. Before I change my mind."

* * *

Lea emerged from the bathroom an hour later, soaking wet and utterly bedraggled, like a drowned rat.

"Feeling any better?" I asked. Lea shook her head and I opened my arms. Lea almost fell into them and I pulled her down on the bed, spooning behind her, her back against my chest, and my body wrapped around hers.

"You're going to be okay, my friend. You're going to be okay." I told her softly and kissed her temple. I continued, "To quote the legendary Dolly Parton, 'If you want the rainbow, you have to put up with the rain.'" I feel her nod and hum in agreement and we settled into a comfortable silence.

We laid there, me cuddling her until she fell sound asleep.

She is going to be okay; I just know it. She just needs time to heal and I plan on being there for her through it all.


	9. Ohana

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lea tells her family the truth, with Naya and the rest of her Glee family by her side and Naya makes Lea an offer she can't refuse.

**Lea's POV**

The next morning, I woke up to a cold bed and sunlight on my face. Last night was... amazing, so amazing that I can't help but smile. I feel much better now. I remember being comforted by Naya, assuring me that everything is gonna be okay, even cuddling with me. She has been such a rock for me lately. I am overwhelmed, humbled and so very, very grateful to have her in my life. I don't know how to thank her for her compassion, wisdom and neverending love and support.

I was so lost in my own thoughts that I didn't hear the person who came in. "Hey girl, glad to see you're up."

It was Naya (speak of the devil), carrying a tray, bringing me breakfast. Or brunch, I don't really know what time it is.

"Nay? Where... where is everyone?"

"Out on a hike." She carefully set the tray on the bedside table, then joined me on the bed, ruffling my hair. "How'd you sleep?"

"Good. Great, actually. I haven't slept that great in a long while."

"Well, I'm glad I helped." Naya said and shot me a smile, but instead of smiling back at her, I felt my eyes start watering up. Great. So much for keeping the tears at bay.

Naya instantly became worried, prompting her to pull me into a sweet embrace. "Hey, what's wrong?"

"Nothing is wrong. It's just.. Thank you, Naya. No, I don't even think thank you is enough right now. But really, thank you. For everything."

She grabbed my hand and gave it a little squeeze. "Hey. Don't cry." She wipes away my tears and continues, "I wanted to do this. You know how much I love you, Lea and I really wanted to do this, be that person for you or else Cory'll come back to haunt me."

I stilled at her words. "Cory? What... what are you talking about Naya?"

"I never told you this because I didn't know how to say it to you because I was picking the right time to tell you but, Cory told me to watch over you in case something happens." Naya admitted.

"He did that?"

"Well, he told all of us to watch over you, but he told me, more than anything/anyone else." She paused, then added, "He also told me that he'll come back and haunt me if I didn't keep my end of the bargain." She chuckles softly.

I couldn't help but burst into tears and she said nothing, and instead pulled me into a tight hug.

When I was calm enough, I took a deep breath and started again. "I have you to thank. You, you saved me, Naya. I don't know how to repay you for everything that you've done for me."

Naya then smiled and began to stroke my hair. I smiled at the touch.

"You don't have to, Lea. You don't have to repay me. I did it for you and I will do it for anyone else in our glee family or anyone else in general, and I know you would, too."

I nodded and pulled away from the hug and smiled at her. "I am so grateful to have you in my life, Naya. You opted to help me, even when you didn't have to."

"I said it once, I'm gonna say it again. I wanted to, Lea. I wanted to do this. And I am so grateful to have you in my life, too." And with that, we shared another hug. "You're my family, Lea. _"Ohana means family. Family means nobody gets left behind or forgotten."_ " I heard Naya quote Lilo & Stitch and I smiled.

* * *

**Naya's POV**

When we pulled away, I put both my hands on Lea's shoulders and said, "Tell them." She looks at me, confused and I elaborated, "Everything that you told me last night. You can do it."

She sighed. "I, I don't know if I can."

"Oh please. You're Lea Michele Sarfati, you can do anything. You can do this, I know you can. And they're your family, they deserve to know. They wouldn't judge you or anything like that."

"Naya, I... I don't know.. I think it's too soon. I..." The hesitation in her voice is palpable.

I tried another approach. "I'll be there, right by your side, holding your hand the entire time." I promised.

"Do you promise?"

"I promise."

"I..."

"You can even sit on my lap if you want to."

"Okay."

"Okay?"

"Okay. I can do this."

"My hat's off to you."

* * *

When Lea was fed and showered and dressed, I led her out of our room and into the big cabin common room. Seeing as everyone was already there, this was the perfect opportunity. I gathered them all in a big family circle, sitting comfortably on beanbags. As promised, I sat myself beside Lea in the center of the circle and held her hand and gave it a squeeze.

"What's this about? Did something happen? Snix? Nini?" Little Bee asked, addressing me and the brunette beside me and I answered him, "Lea has something she needs to tell her family right now." I looked at her and nodded, encouraging her to go on and tell them. Lea takes a couple deep breaths and then starts, everyone looking at her expectantly.

"I, uh.. I don't know where to begin exactly." She began and I gave her hand another squeeze, encouraging her. "Okay um, I guess I'll start from the very beginning then. Cory... Cory asked me.. to... to marry him."

Their reactions were unanimous; everyone gasped in shock, but no one dared to ask her so she continued. "June 13, 2013. I was at his place, helping him pack his stuff as he was set to leave for Vancouver the following night." Lea then shook her head and letting out a teary chuckle, she backtracks, "Or rather, I was packing his stuff while he was doing God knows what in the living room."

That emitted a laugh from everyone, myself included.

"When I, Lea the elf, was done serving her master Cory-" another laugh "-I joined him in the living room. And then we cuddled on the couch, watched some NHL before he let go of me and told me that he'll be back and that he just needed to get something from his room. I was confused, but didn't ask and just stared at his retreating form."

"Oh my God!" Jenna and Dianna squealed, linking hands and I shushed them.

"When he came back, he kind of scared the living daylights out of me because I was doing something in that moment and he just seemed to like appear out of nowhere. At first, I was confused as I saw him getting down on the floor. Then I saw him, down on one knee and then I knew." Lea smiled, a teary smile, but a smile nonetheless.

A couple of "awws" were heard from the group, which made Lea cry and me pulling her into a tight hug.

Lea gave me a grateful smile and then continued, "He proposed that day and he told me, that I should think about it and that when he gets back from Vancouver, I better have an answer by then."

"Oh. But you didn't... you never.." Mark said and Lea shook her head.

"I did. We did. I answered him the next morning. I told him yes and before both of us knew it, we were married. At that little church near my house." And then she showed them her wedding ring, confirming that yes, she is indeed married to our late costar.

Everyone's reactions were again, unanimous as I heard them saying "Oh my God!" over and over and over again.

"So what happened after that? Tell us, girl!" Amber said and Lea continued. "After that, we celebrated at my house."

"Nice." Mark approved and Lea rolled her eyes, making me giggle.

"As I was saying, we celebrated at my house and spent the whole afternoon together, and then I drove him to the airport, wherein we shared our one last kiss, which at that time I didn't know was the very last kiss I was going to have with him my entire life." Lea takes a couple deep breaths and I gave her hand a little squeeze, knowing that the hardest part is coming up. "Whew. Uh, and then he was gone. He was in Vancouver and I was spending the hiatus in Cabo with my girlfriends. But I- I kept in touch with him and he did with me." She starts to take a few shaky breaths and closes her eyes, struggling not to let the tears fall.

"On our third week in Cabo, while out and about with my girls... that is where and when I realized that.. that I was late." I heard her voice crack and my heart broke for her.

"Late? As in like... late late?" I heard Heather ask and Lea nodded, then opened her eyes and buried her tear-stained face in my neck. I hugged her tighter and cooed to her, calming her. Then, like the soldier that she is, she composed herself, smiled and continued.

"I'm... I was with child and the entire time on that trip, I've been thinking of how to share the news to him. But... I never got to."

"Wait. You said you were with child. What happened to the baby?" I wasn't sure who asked this question because I was focusing on Lea and on how she would react.

"I lost the baby. I miscarried due to stress over everything that happened with Cory and... and..." And she completely broke down in my arms, holding on to me like a lifeline. I rocked her gently back and forth until her sobs quieted down. I wiped away her tears and Becca, or Dianna I'm not really sure, threw a water bottle our way and I made Lea drink the entire thing and she obeyed like a little kid.

One by one, the group gave her tight hugs and I can tell that she's really grateful for all of them.

"Why did you keep this all to yourself? Why didn't you tell any of us sooner?" I heard Dianna ask.

"Jon and Naya know, they're the first ones I told. And I don't know.. I just didn't want to bother you guys with my problems." She admitted.

"Lea, we're your family. You can talk to any of us about anything. Especially things as big and serious as this. Come on, you know that." Jenna reminded her. Lea nodded and said nothing.

"You can knock on my door any time you want. Be it 3am or whatever time it is, I'll be there for you. I am told I'm a pretty good listener." Chris says and Lea shoots him a small smile.

"My door is always open as well." Everyone chorused and I smile gratefully at them.

Darren then moved closer to Lea. "Now I know why you were so upset when I asked that particular question. I am so sorry, Lea. I shouldn't have... I.." Lea cut him off. "Hey, it's okay Darren, you didn't know."

"Still, I should learn to be more sensitive to people's feelings, especially yours. I'm sorry, Lea."

"It's okay. I forgive you." They share a sweet embrace and all was good between them. We then all crowded around Lea and gave her a massive, family bear hug.

* * *

The instant we came back to our room, I didn't hesitate to tell her how proud I am of her. I was so, so proud of what she had just done. It may be hard, but she got through it with my help and our friends. I hugged her and stroked her hair, then pulled back to place a soft kiss on her forehead. "Hey. You'll be okay. I promise you, you'll be okay."

"How is it ever going to be  _okay_?" Her voice broke, "How am I supposed to get over this?"

I sighed and smiled sadly at her, "You're not. You're probably never going to get over it; you're sure as hell not going to forget. But at some point, you'll stop grieving and you'll just hold on to all the good things instead of the bad."

She wiped away her tears and nodded dejectedly and let me hold her again.

"I was so devastated. I still am." I stroke her back comfortingly and she continued. "Do you think he's proud of me? Do you think he's watching over me?"

"I'm sure he's more than proud of you. Both of them. They're watching over you with smiles on their faces." I assured her and she hummed in response. I continued, "I said this in an interview once, for E! News, and I'm gonna say it again. You are so strong, Lea. You are so unbelievably strong. I can’t believe how strong you've actually been. My hat’s off to you, my friend." Finishing my affirmation, I felt her chin begin to quiver once more and I looked down and saw her biting her lip in an attempt at quelling the oncoming wave of tears. I sighed. Are these tears ever going to stop? She's been so sad lately and I can't stand it.  

So to take her mind off things, I said the first thing I could think of, without really thinking about it. (Does that make sense?)

"I wanna take you out."

'Nice one, Rivera.'

"Out?" Lea asks, instantly curious.

"For dinner."

"Dinner?"

"Well yeah."

"Just the two of us?"

"Yeah."

"Is this like a date?"

I laughed at her. "You're asking too many questions, Lea."

"Answer me. Is this like a date?"

"It will be if you agree."

"I would be honored."

Now it was my turn to ask her.

"Really? Is that a yes?"

"Yes. It's a yes. I would love to have dinner with you, my lady."

I am really looking forward to this Riverchele dinner. I'm sure it'd be fun.


	10. We've Got Another Week!

**Lea's POV**

After my talk with Naya in our room, we joined our friends in the kitchen for a late lunch. Darren played chef & waiter for the day, serving us his version of chicken adobo, a staple Filipino dish. It was so delicious I begged him to give me the recipe; I will make this dish for my Italian family. After our late lunch, we ate some dessert, brownies made by Jenna, Di, and Becca. And then afterwards, we all moved to the big cabin common room to have a siesta. But before we could all close our eyes, my phone rang.

It was our boss and one of my very good friends, Ryan Murphy.

I answered it immediately, realizing that this could be important, all my cast-mates looking at me.

"Ryan hey." I greeted.

"Hey Lea. How are things going over there?" He asks, his voice friendly and warm.

"Good good, it's going really good!" I admitted happily.

"That's great to hear." He says and I raised my eyebrows even though I knew that he couldn't see me. There was a slight change in his voice and I can't comprehend why.

I became worried. I stood up and started pacing the room like my head was on fire, my friends looking at me like I was going crazy. "What's up? Is everything okay, Ry?"

"I don't know how to say this, Lea." His voice was serious now and his manner solemn like and it's starting to scare me.

"What is it? Come on, it can't be that bad." I stopped pacing the room, took a seat back on the couch I was sharing with Naya, Dianna and Heather, ran a hand through my hair and then glanced at my friends nervously.

"Okay. Ian, Brad, and I have been talking." He began.

"And?"

"We have been talking about how hardworking you guys have been and we observed, well, more like reviewed all the hours you've all put in, and..."

"And what? Just say it, Ryan, all the suspense is killing me over here!" I snapped, but I didn't mean to. I hope Ryan knows that.

His next words weren't what I was expecting. At all.

"Which is why the three of us decided to give you all another week off, or rather, another week there in Bass Lake."

My jaw dropped and then I was stilled into silence for a few seconds, but I recovered quickly.

"Lea, are you still there?"

"Yes, yes I'm still here. My gosh I don't know what to say, I mean, are you guys sure about this?"

"Yes, we are a hundred-fifty percent sure."

I laughed at that.

But then I realized what that would mean for the show. That means the show is gonna be on another one of its many hiatuses and I don't know what's gonna happen, what or how our Gleeks would react, etcetera etcetera. 

I was gonna ask him about that exactly, but he beat me to it. "You all deserve this two-week off from work, Lea. All of you are so hardworking, such professional all-nighters and we are so proud of how far you've all come. And I know what this must mean for the show, but don't worry about that, we've got it all under control over here with everyone involved."

I chuckled. "I'm gonna need you to tell me again what you just said, Ryan. Because I can't believe it."

I hear him laugh on the other end of the line. "We are giving you guys another week in Bass Lake."

"Oh my God, oh my God, oh my God! Thank you, thank you, thank you! I love love love you, you're the best, ever!"

"I know and I love love love you too, Lea. Enjoy! Send my regards to the rest of the crew."

"Of course, of course! Thanks again, Ryan, love you bye!"

"Love you too, Lea. And no problem. Bye, I'll see you all soon."

And then the line went dead.

"So, what was that about, littlest bee? You seem so happy." Kevin asked and because I can't contain my excitement, I burst into tears of joy and said the words.

"We've got another week." I can see they all got confused by that so I scream and shout, "WE'VE GOT ANOTHER WEEK HERE IN BASS LAKE!"

We all jumped for joy at the news. We were all so happy.

We had a little celebration before my dinner with Naya.

Speaking of the dinner, why do I feel nervous all of a sudden? I mean, it's just Naya, right? So why am I nervous?

Well that's for me to know and you to find out.


End file.
